Hopper.



PATENTED DEC. 15, 1903'.

J. D. SWINDELL.

HOPPER.

'APVPLIOATION FILED JAN. 31,1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

WYTNESSES No. 747,018. PATENTED'DEG. 15, 1903.

J. D. SWINDELL.

HOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. a1, 1903.

" 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

no MODEL.

WITNESSES [NVE/VTUR 1- NORRIS Perms co, rumour-10., wumnmou, w. c.

Urvrrnn Starts Patented December 15, 1903.

Parent tries,

JAMES DAVIS SWINDELL, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO AMIERICAN FURNACE AND MACHINE 00., OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

HOPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 747,018, dated December 15, 1903- Application filed January 31, 1903. Serial No. 141,334. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, JAMES DAVIS SWIN- DELL, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Hoppers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use to the same.

My invention relates to an improved hopper, and more particularly to an improved bell coal-hopper for feeding coal to gas-producers, but may of course be employed for other purposes, the object of the invention being to provide an improved hopper having a bell bottom or closure and improved gastight means for operating the bell, and, further, to provide improved mounting for the hopper-cover and improved poke-hole closures which will automatically fall into place when the poking operation is discontinued.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View in vertical section, illustrating my improvements. Fig. 2 is a top plan View with the cover removed. Figs. 3, 4c, and 5 are enlarged views illustrating details of construction; and Fig. 6 is a view in vertical section,

illustrating a modification.

1 represents the supporting-plate of myimproved hopper 2. This plate is mounted upon the gasproducer and made with a large central opening to receive the lower end of the hopper and provided all around said opening with a strengthening-flange 3 to sustain the great heat at this point and support brick forming the arch of the gas-producer.

The hopper2 is made with an annular flange 4t, resting on plate 1 and secured thereto by 4.5 bolts 5 to form a gas-tight juncture, and while said hopper is of a general cylindrical shape it preferably tapers or contracts from its lower to its upper end. While I prefer this shape of hopper, it is apparent that other shapes may be employed Without departing from my invention, and I do not wish to be confined to any particular shape.

The hopper 2 is provided in opposite sides and to one side of its longitudinal center with alined bearings 6 for a shaft 7, projecting through the hopper, and has secured on one end a collar 8 and on its other end the collar 9, forming a part of an operating-lever 10. These collars S and 9 fit snugly against the bearings 6 and prevent any escape of gas and smoke at these points, and besides the shaft has a snug fit in the bearings to further prevent any escape of gas.

Midway between the ends of shaft 7 in hopper 2 a grooved drum or pulley 11 is se cured thereon by meansof a key or other suitable mechanism, locking the drum and shaft to turn together, and a hook 12 is secured to or forms a part of said drum. This hook 12 projects through the end link of a chain 13, securing it to the drum, and said chain passes over the drum or pulley and down to and secured between parallel lugs 14: at the apex of bell 15 by means of a crossbolt 16. The bell is of greater diameter than the hopper 2 and is held by said chain 13 against the lower edge thereof to effectually shut off all communication between the hopper and gas-producer, and the lever 10 has a counterweight 17 to overbalance bell 15 and normally hold it in its closed position.

A cover 18 is provided for the hopper and is made with depending lugs 19 at one side of its center, having alined holes for a bolt 20, also passed through a bearing 21 in one end of a bifurcated link 22. This link 22 straddles drum 11, extends across the longihopper for the supply of coal or other material thereto without disturbing the bell in the slightest.

Plate 1 around the hopper is made with a series of openings to receive saucer-shaped seats 24 for ball-valves 25, normally closing poke-holes 26 in the seats, but which can be readily moved to one side for the admission of a poker and immediately fall into position to close the openings when the poker is removed, thereby preventing escape of gas and smoke at the poke-holes.

The operation of my improvement is as follows: We will suppose that hopper 2 contains coal and it is desired to feed some to the gas-producer below. Lever 10 is raised, thus turning shaft 7 and drum 11 to lower chain 13 and permit bell 15 to lower. The coal will then fall out between the bell and lower end of the hopper until the desired quantity is fed, when by exerting a downward pull on lever 10 the shaft and drum will be turned in the opposite direction to wind the chain onto the drum and draw the bell up tightly against the lower end of the hopper, thereby forming a gas-tight closure. When it is desired to fill the hopper, cover 18 is swung to one side by means of link 22 and is closed when the hopper is full, as above explained. v

In Fig. 6 I have shown a modified form of mounting for the cover. In this form of my invention the cover is hinged at one side, as shown at 28, and a lever 29 is secured to the cover at its hinged connection, so that when the lever. is pulled downward the cover will be swung to an open position, and when the lever is moved in the reverse direction the cover will be closed.

Various other changes might be made in the general form and arrangement of parts described without departing from my invention, and hence I do not confine myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myself at liberty to make such slight changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a hopper,of a bellbottom therefor, a rotary drum in the hopper, a chain secured to the bell and drum, and a lever outside the hopper for turning the drum.

2. The combination with a hopper,of a bellbottom therefor, a shaft projecting through the hopper, a drum secured on said shaft in the hopper, a flexible connecting device between the drum and bell, and a lever secured to the shaft on the outside of the hopper.

3. The combination with a hopper,of a bellbottom therefor, a shaft projecting through the hopper and having gas tight bearings therein, a drum secured on the shaft in the hopper, a flexible connecting device between the drum and bell, removably connected to the drum and wound thereon, and a counterweighted lever for turning said shaft to raise and lower the hell.

4:. In a hopper, the combination with a receptacle, a movable bottom, and means for moving the same, of a cover for said receptacle, ashaft in said receptacle at one side of its center, and a link pivotally connecting said shaft and cover and extending across the longitudinal center of the receptacle.

5. The combination with a hopper and a bell bottom therefor, a shaft projecting through the hopper, adrum or pulley secured thereon, a flexible connection between the drum and bell, and a lever secured to the shaft and adapted to operate the drum, of a cover for the hopper, and a bifurcated link having bearings on the shaft, straddling the drum, and pivotally connected at its upper end to the cover.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses. JAMES DAVIS SWINDELL.

Witnesses:

GEO. PIPER, J 0s. A. NULL. 

